Method of soldering



Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORG BRUNH'UBNEB, OF PII'OBZHEII, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO ERNST GIDEON BER, 0F PFORZEEIM, GERMANY METHOD 0! SOLDERING Ho Drawing. Application Med January 18, 1930, Serial No. 420,686, and in Germany larch 17, 192?.

This invention is a continuation in part of my prior application filed March 13, 1928, Serial No. 261,695, and the present lnvention relates to a method of uniting the ends of links or rings of wire mesh fabric, chains and the like, and particularly to machine-made articles of this character and to the uniting of the ends of the links or rings of the mesh or chain concatenations as they come from the machine.

The uniting of the joints of such chains, rings, chainmail, mesh or similar articles of solid or solder-cored wire stock, has heretofore generally been done by hand or machine soldering. In the operation of soldering, a flux, together with solder-metal or soldermetal alloys, are used which must be suited in each case to the metal to be soldered, in order that they may undergo a combination with the same.

For the reasons stated a great number of difierent solder-alloys are required, the preparation of which is diflicult and complicated and requires great skill and causes great expense, and frequently such alloys can not be successfully used.

By the means forming the subject-matter of the present invention the foregoing and other objections to prior methods are obviated, as either only chemical means are required to weld together the metals to be united, or cheap metals only need be used.

In the first case the means consist of nonmetallic elementary substances or combinations of the same which have a reducing efiect. Combinations of non-metallic elementary substances may also be mixed 'with oxides. These means are admixed with liquid-media, for instance water, oil and the like, and applied at the soldering or Welding point.

In the other case, non-metallic elementary substances or combinations of such substances with cheap powdered metallicadditions, for instance zinc powder, brass powder, copper powder, and the like, are mixed and liquidmedia added to the mixture. The commonly used metal solders in the state of finest powder can be used when metals or metalalloys are to be united the soldering of which is specially difficult, as, for instance, alloys containing aluminium or allo 5 containing platinum. As combinations 0 non-metallic elementary substances, carbides and silicide's, and as non-metallic elementary substances, non-poisonous red phosphorus are, for instance, well adapted for use. A suitable oxide is, for instance, silicic acid or ground quartz (Slo The mixtures of non-metallic elementary substances, such as red phosphorus admixed with oil or water mentioned in the first case, are specially suitable for 8 carat gold and gold-plated metals, also for a gold-copper alloy or for a copper-zinc-alloy with gold plating or for tom ac and copper.

A combination, as in the second case, in which reducing elementary substances or the combinations of the same, the one with the other, with metal dust, for instance, red phosphorus, oil, zinc dust and a pure flux-like anhydrous borax, boric-acid, boron, or the like, are mixed together, is especially adapted for silver containing metals.

The uniting of the solder joints is mainly obtained in the first case in that by reduction of the oxides existing on the joint faces a local softening is produced on and in the alloy for their union, as in welding. As a reducing elementary substance, red phosphorus is very efiicient, as a small uantity of the same aids in the softening an uniting, especially when a quick heating and soldering action is desired or required.

The addition of oxygenous combinations, like ground quartz, and the presence of the same at the joint, exerts in many cases an action increasing the softening of the metal to a greater extent, as the phosphorus which is present liberates from the ground quartz the silicum, i. e., a second less volatile reduction means.

The mixtures mentioned in the second case of non-metallic elementary substances or combinations of such substances with powdered metallic additions, as zinc dust or the mixture of metal dust, for example, zinc or copper with a reducing non-metallic elementary substance, for example, red phosphorus, causes a raising of the temperature in the soldering zone to a particularly high degree, the temperature being far above that emplo ed in ordinary soldering so that an effect difi erent from that of ordinary soldering and which is similar to welding is obtained. In this connectionthe metal dust acts as a heat transmission agent in the reducing action of phosphorus on silver and alpacca, and it acts as a solder producing material as it forms, together with the metals to be soldered, a metal mixture melting at a temperature below the soldering or welding temperature of the metal of the article produced. As an example, zinc dust alone would not have sufliciently great uniting power to enter into an alloy combination with the portions of nickel, copper and zinc of the alpacca, under ordinary heating and in the absence of a deoxidizing and temperature raising substance such as the red phosphorus, but, by the use of the red phosphorus in combination with it, a good result can be obtained.

The pulverulent, pasty or moist soldering or welding means can be easily applied to the solder points. In the manufacturing of chains or chainmail the solder means can be applied by the same machine by which the chain or chainmail is produced. The goods to be soldered or welded however may also be dipped into the thin pasty mixture, and the solder or welding means in excess then removed by scourlng, leaving the necessary quantity for the soldering action remaining at the solder point. In certain cases shaking with the dry solder and welding means may be sufiicient to remove the excess material.

In some cases, after dipping the article in oil or other liquid, an excess of liquid (water, oil or the like) may be removed by centrifugal action, Whereupon the article is rubbed in with soldering compound and is finally.

scoured with dry powdered soldering or welding means.

The addition substance may also be applied by the chain or chainmail producing machine, prior to or during the treatment of the wire thereby. A further advantage of this mixing of non-metallic elementary substances with powdered metallic additions results from the circumstance that the gaps between the ends of the links or rings are often of abnormal width, due to irregular feeding of the wires or by wearing of machine elements. In such cases the gaps can not be filled or bridged by non-metallic elementary substances alone, as they volatilize or burn under the action of heat, but the gaps may be readily filled with powdered metallic additions prior to soldering so that gaps of varying widths may be closed during the soldering process. By this means mis-soldering and the necessity of holding the ends of the rings or links pressed a prescribed distance apart, which would be difiicult even with'a machine working with great recision, or of individually soldering each link or ring by hand, is edectually avoided.

Heretofore machine-made solder chain has been made of solder filled wire, or so-called solder-core wire. The manufacture of this wire with solder-core is very diflicult and expensive. Its price in the ordinary sizes in base metals is from four to six fold the price of solid wire. Besides, the solder of the solder filled links, during the soldering action, falls into the joint to close it, and, as a result, the rings are left hollow inside, so that a chain made of solder-filled wire is really a chain of hollow tubes and not of solid rings and is therefore not as strong as one made of solid rings. Attempts have been made to use solid wire and to introduce solder into the joints of links in powdered, paste or solder strip form at the soldering moment. All of these methods have required complicated machinery and expert machinists and can only be employed for heavy wire chains. Another trouble in employing solid wire is the difficulty in supplying solder paste, in holding solder powder in proper proportions in a mixture, or in holding cut off pieces of solder in place during the various preparatory soldering steps.

A method heretofore proposed in an attempt to overcome these difiiculties is one in which the solder is deposited on the outside of the wire or on the machine-made chain or mesh and caused to flow into the gaps, but this has been found unsatisfactory and highly objectionable because the surfaces of the links are roughened by the solder and rendered unsalable through the resulting discoloration of the metal. All of these prior methods of making chains and like goods with. solderfilled wire or solid wire further require very complicated preparations or the use of a large number of steps preliminary to actual soldering.

It is generally recognized in this art that the oil used in the chain machine, and which sticks t6 the chains as a film on their surface, prevents soldering. Such oil also clogs withm the link or ring gaps. Therefore the sol der-core chain or solid wire chain must firstbe very carefully cleaned of all machine oil, dirt, fat and oxides, then boiled in a flux. such as borax or the like, which forms a stiff covering, and the links must then be flexed to break this covering, after which the chain must be dipped in a sticky solution, such as resin dissolved in alcohol, and then rubbed with powdered graphite and fully coated thereby before it can be subjected to soldering treatment. All of this is time consuming and expensive for this reason and because of the amount of labor involved, and one object of my invention is to provide a method which overcomes these objections and provides a very simple and economical way of preparing the chainmail for the soldering action and performing the latter. To this end, my invention provides a method which dispenses partly or wholly with the cleaning steps and makes use of the oil on the link surfaces and in the link gaps as a carrier vehicle or liquid for holding in suspension the solder compound or solder producing means, and I also provide, as part of the soldering composition, a fiuxing agent or agents which has or have the property of deoxidizing the surfaces to be soldered and momentarily raising the temperature in thesoldering zone to such a high degree as to efiect a very quick soldering action as well as the burning of the oil without residue and without injury to the chain. The deoxidizing and temperature raising flux may also be one of such character 'as to raise the temperature to such a high degree that, in the presence or" metallic or non-metallic soldering or solder producing agents the ring ends to be united will be melted so as to produce a welding action or so that they will combine with the other ingredients to form the required solder mixture. In this method the red phosphorus and other solid ingredients are used in a very finely divided state so as to be capable of being held in suspension by the oil on the chain, which may be sufiicient for the purpose, or the solid dry substances may be mixed with a suflicicnt amount of the oil to prevent them from .flying 0E, and to form with the oil on the chain a vehicle which will cause the solid components to be held in the link joints. The red phosphorus operates as a non-poisonous deoxidizing agent and flux which, during the heating action, burns at a very high temperature, and thus momentarily raises the temperature in the gap or at the solder point to such a degree as to effect a quick soldering with a burning of the oil without residue or a solder welding action, as hereinbeiore set forth. The use of quartz powder effects an additional deoxidizing and temperature raising action for such additional period of time as may be necessary under different circumstances for heating the solder zone to any determined high degree of intensity, whereby the advantages set forth are gained. By this means a solder composition or solder forming metal may be used to form alone or with the metal to be joined a soldering or welding composition, or non-metallic chemical solder producing means or substances may be used which will coact with the metal or metals to be joined and the flux for a reducing and welding action, from which it will be evident thata very strong joint may be produced and metals having a high soldering or welding point soldered or welded in a very highly efficient manner.

The use of liquids, like water, oil, liquid flux means and the like, serves to bringthe non-metallic elementary substances, or metallic admixtures when they are used, into a pasty or viscous state. The solder substances in this state readily enter. into all fissures and gaps of the joint or solder point and stick on the metal to be soldered.

The adhering of the solder substance on the solder point can be obtained also by slightly moistening the solder material with liquid substances which are inherently sticky or which make the composition sticky, like oil or liquid borax or water, and in applying subsequently at these points the dry solder substances which are made to stick on the soldering material by the liquid substances which have previously been applied. Any solder substance which adheres to any other point than the solder point may be removed by scouring.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the sticking of solder substances on the solder point can be obtained also when the liquid and the solid non-metallic elementary sub stances or the admixture of metallic additions are applied separately. The solder substances in either case adhere strongly especially in the ring-joints so that any treatments subsequently necessary, for instance scouring to remove the solder in excess or covering to protect against oxidation, will not cause dropping off of the solder substance. The solder substance in the joint can be removed only by washing oii the solder material. with benzine or the like.

A very convenient way to apply the dry or more or less moist soldering substance to the object to be soldered is to scoop up handfuls of the solder and then rub the object between the hands. Mechanically this can be done by conducting the wire, during the treatment in the chain making machine, in contact with an absorbent body impregnated with the liquid substance.

By soldering substance I mean a metal or combination of one or more metals or other materials adapted to form alone or in conjunction with the metal to be joined a soldering or welding compound. By solder producing means or substances I mean either a soldering substance, as above set forth, or a non-metallic or chemical sub-. stance, or combination of substances, adapted to form with the metal to be soldered a solder or welding compound.

A very simple and efficient way of carrying the method into effect, as will be obvious from the foregoing description, is to coat a chain, or bundle of chains, or a section of chainmail or chain mesh, which is covered with more or less oil, with the solder forming substance or solder producing substance and fluxing agent or agents, applied in a finely divided dry state, or with a sufl'icient additional amount of oil, so that a moist or sticky mixture will be produced which will adhere to the rings or links and fill the gaps between the ends of the rings or links.

The next step is to remove again from the coated links all of the solder material except that contained in the aps, and at the same time to fill in voids whic may be present in the gap fillings with additional solder material to make up that required in each gap for a perfect solder shutting action.

This is conveniently done by scouring the links with a slightly moist or even dry solder material of the character set forth. The links may then be subjected to the action of soldering heat without further treatment but where desirable or necessary, they may previously be coated with a soldering preventive such for instance as graphite, magnesium or the like, as is well known in the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The method of soldering the ends of links which consists in applying to the links coated with a liquid solder paste of a character containing finely divided solder producing material of a character to be held in suspension by said liquid, subjecting the links to a rubbing agitation and flexing while in contact with a dry solder material so as to mix said dry solder material with the paste and to reduce the adhesiveness of the latter, whereby any Voids in the link gaps left through incomplete filling of the link gaps by the solder paste will be filled by the dry powder material while all the solder material except that in the link gaps will be removed by the agitation and flexion, applying to the chain links a dry non-solder substance acting to protect the solder material from oxidation and the link surfaces from spreading of the solder material, and then the solder and consume the oil without' residue.

3. The method of soldering the ends of links, which consists in applying to the links coated With an oil a solder material in a finely divided state so as to be held in suspension by the oil, subjecting the links to rubbing agi-. tation and flexion upon themselves while in contact with a dry solder material so as to mix said dry solder material with the solder paste and thereby cause a reduction of adhesiveness of the latter, whereby an voids in the link ga s left through incomp ete filling of the 1m gaps b the solder paste will be filled by the dry soi der material while all the solder material except that in the link gaps will be removed by the agitation and flexion, and then subjecting the links to the action of heat to a degree to fuse the solder and to consume the suspension oil without residue.

4. The method of soldering the ends of links, which consists in applying to the links coated with an oil a solder material in a finely divided state so as to be held in suspension by the oil, subjecting the links to rubbing agitation and flexion while in contact with a dry solder material so as to mix the said dry solder material with the paste and to reduce the adhesiveness of the latter, whereby any voids in the link ga s left through incomplete filling of the lin gaps by the solder paste will be filled by the dry powder material while allthe solder mate ial except that in the link gaps .will be removed by the agitation and flexion, applying to the chain links a dry non-solder substance acting to protect the solder material from oxidation and the link surfaces from spreading of the solder material, then subjecting the links to the action of a heat of an intensity to fuse the solder and to consume the suspension oil and to solder the link ends.

5. The method of soldering the ends of links, which consists in applying to the links coated with an oil a solder material in finely divided condition so as to be held in suspension by the oil and toform therewith a solder coating of thin paste consistency, removing from the surfaces of the links all solder material except that disposed in the gaps between the link ends, subjecting the links to rubbing agitation and flexion while in contact with a dry solder material so as to mix said dry solder material with the paste and to reduce the adhesiveness of the latter, whereby any voids in the link gaps left through incomplete filling of the link gaps by the solder paste will be filled by the dry powder material while all the solder material except that'between the link gaps will be removed by the agitation and flexion, applying to the chain links a dry non-metallic substance acting to protect the solder material from oxidation and the link surfaces from spreading of the solder material, and then subjecting all the links to the action of heat of a degree to fuse the solder and to consume the suspension oil without residue.

6. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends ofv a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenation machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including an inflammable substance for raising the temperature in the soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to effect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from the surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to solder-shut the links thereof.

7. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenation machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including an inflammable substance for raising the temperature in the soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to effect the burning of the oil without residue, bringing the links into contact with a powdered substance having soldering properties and rubbing and flexing the links to cause the solder powder to wipe off the solder material except from the link gaps and to fill any voids in the latter with supplemental solder material, and finally subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to soldershut the links thereof.

8. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenating machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including amorphous phosphorus for raising the temperature in the soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to effect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from the surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to solder-shut the links thereof.

9. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenating machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including a deoxidizing substance having a melting point above that of the metal of the links together with an inflammable substance for raising the temperature in the soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to effect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from' the surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to solder-shut the links thereof.

10. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surface of the links and filling the link or ring gaps-of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenating machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including a deozridizing substance having a melting point above of the metal of the links, together with a non-oxidizing flux comprising amorphous phosphorus for raising the temperature in soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to efiect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from the surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to solder-shut the links thereof.

11. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenating machine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including a silicide and an inflammable substance for raising the temperature in the soldering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to eilect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from the surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to soldershut the links thereof.

12. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated. with oil from the link forming and concatenating machine with a powdered solder producing ma terial insuch finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and including a silicate and amorphous phos horus for raising the temperature in the sol ering zone on the fusion of the solder material to a degree to effect the burning of the oil without residue, removing from he surface of the links all solder material except that contained in the link gaps, and subjecting the concatenation to the action of heat to solder-shut the links thereof. 7

13. The method of simultaneously soldering the ends of a multitude of links or rings of a length of concatenated links or rings of a chain or a mesh fabric or the like, which consists in rubbing the entire surfaces of the links and filling the link or ring gaps of the concatenation as it comes coated with oil from the link forming and concatenating ma chine with a powdered solder producing material in such finely divided condition as to be held by the oil in suspension and adapted to form with the metal of the links to be solder-shut a soldering or welding composition having a fusion point not lower than the point at which the oil is consumed without residue, removing from the links all'deposited solder forming material except that contained in the link gaps, and then subjecting the links to heat of a degree to effect fusion of the fusing or welding composition and consumption of the oil.

14. The process of soldering which consists in coating the surfaces to be joined with liquid, applying a powdered solder capable of being held in suspension by the liquid, scouring with a powdered solder to remove the solder material from those portions of the surfaces which are not to be soldered and to supply any deficiency of solder at the soldering point, and then subjecting the surfaces to soldering heat.

15. The process of soldering the links of chain concatenations, which consists in coating the chain with oil, removin any excess of oil, applying dry solder to the c ain, scouring the-chain with dry solder, and subjecting the links to soldering heat.

GEORG BRUNHUBNER. 

